We present an analysis of 10 ks snapshot Chandra observations of 12 shocked post-starburst galaxies, which provide a window into the unresolved question of active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity in post-starburst galaxies and its role in the transition of galaxies from active star formation to quiescence. While seven of the 12 galaxies have statistically significant detections (with two more marginal detections), the brightest only obtained 10 photons. Given the wide variety of hardness ratios in this sample, we chose to pursue a forward-modeling approach to constrain the intrinsic luminosity and obscuration of these galaxies, rather than stacking. We constrain the intrinsic luminosity of obscured power laws based on the total number of counts and spectral shape, itself mostly set by the obscuration, with hardness ratios consistent with the data. We also tested thermal models. While all the galaxies have power-law models consistent with their observations, a third of the galaxies are better fit as an obscured power law and another third are better fit as thermal emission. If these post-starburst galaxies, early in their transition, contain AGNs, then these are mostly confined to lower obscuration (N ( H ) <= 10(23) cm(-2)) and lower luminosity (L (2-10 keV) <= 10(42) erg s(-1)). Two galaxies, however, are clearly best fit as significantly obscured AGNs. At least half of this sample shows evidence of at least low-luminosity AGN activity, though none could radiatively drive out the remaining molecular gas reservoirs. Therefore, these AGNs are more likely along for the ride, having been fed gas by the same processes driving the transition.

WISE J104915.57-531906.1 is a L/T brown dwarf binary located 2 pc from the Sun. The pair contains the closest known brown dwarfs and is the third closest known system, stellar or sub-stellar. We report comprehensive follow-up observations of this newly uncovered system. We have determined the spectral types of both components (L8 +/- 1, for the primary, agreeing with the discovery paper; T1.5 +/- 2 for the secondary, which was lacking spectroscopic type determination in the discovery paper) and, for the first time, their radial velocities (V-rad similar to 23.1, 19.5 km s(-1)) using optical spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope and other facilities located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The relative radial velocity of the two components is smaller than the range of orbital velocities for theoretically predicted masses, implying that they form a gravitationally bound system. We report resolved near-infrared JHK(S) photometry from the Infrared Survey Facility telescope at the SAAO which yields colors consistent with the spectroscopically derived spectral types. The available kinematic and photometric information excludes the possibility that the object belongs to any of the known nearby young moving groups or associations. Simultaneous optical polarimetry observations taken at the SAAO 1.9 m give a non-detection with an upper limit of 0.07%. For the given spectral types and absolute magnitudes, 1 Gyr theoretical models predict masses of 0.04-0.05 M-circle dot for the primary, and 0.03-0.05 M-circle dot for the secondary.

New photometric material is presented for six outer disc supposedly old, Galactic star clusters: Berkeley 76, Haffner 4, Ruprecht 10, Haffner 7, Haffner 11 and Haffner 15, which are projected against the rich and complex Canis Major overdensity at 225 degrees <= l <= 248 degrees, -7 degrees <= b <= -2 degrees. This CCD data set, in the UBVI passbands, is used to derive their fundamental parameters, in particular age and distance. Four of the program clusters turn out to be older than 1 Gyr. This fact makes them ideal targets for future spectroscopic campaigns aiming at deriving their metal abundances. This, in turn, contributes to increase the number of well-studied outer disc old open clusters. Only Haffner 15, previously considered an old cluster, is found to be a young, significantly reddened cluster, member of the Perseus arm in the third Galactic quadrant. As for Haffner 4, we suggest an age of about half a Gyr. The most interesting result we found is that Berkeley 76 is probably located at more than 17 kpc from the Galactic centre, and therefore is among the most peripherical old open clusters so far detected. Besides, for Ruprecht 10 and Haffner 7, which were never studied before, we propose ages larger than 1 Gyr.

Context. The existence of lithium-rich low-mass red giant stars still represents a challenge for stellar evolution models. Stellar clusters are privileged environments for this kind of investigation.

Context. The discovery of brown dwarfs (BDs) in the solar neighborhood and young star clusters has helped to constraint the low-mass end of the stellar mass function and the initial mass function. We use data of the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV), a near-infrared (NIR) multi-wavelength (ZYJH K-s) multi-epoch (K-s) ESO Public Survey mapping the Milky Way bulge and southern Galactic plane to search for nearby BDs.

We present medium-resolution optical (lambda/Delta lambda similar to 4000) and near-infrared (lambda/Delta lambda similar to 8000) spectral data for components of the newly discovered WISE J104915.57-531906.1AB (Luhman 16AB) brown dwarf binary. The optical spectra reveal strong 6708 angstrom Li i absorption in both Luhman 16A (8.0 +/- 0.4 angstrom) and Luhman 16B (3.8 +/- 0.4 angstrom) confirming their substellar mass. Interestingly, this is the first detection of Li i absorption in a T dwarf. In the near-infrared data, we find strong K I absorption at 1.168, 1.177, 1.243, and 1.254 mu m in both components. Neither the optical nor the near-infrared alkali lines show low surface gravity signatures. Along with the Li i absorption detection, we can broadly constrain the system age to 0.1-3 Gyr or the mass to 20-65M(Jup) for each component. Compared to the strength of K I line absorption in equivalent spectral subtype brown dwarfs, Luhman 16A is weaker while Luhman 16B is stronger. Analyzing the spectral region around each doublet in distance scaled flux units and comparing the two sources, we confirm the J-band flux reversal and find that Luhman 16B has a brighter continuum in the 1.17 mu m and 1.25 m regions than Luhman 16A. Converting flux units to a brightness temperature we interpret this to mean that the secondary is similar to 50 K warmer than the primary in regions dominated by condensate grain scattering. One plausible explanation for this difference is that Luhman 16B has thinner clouds or patchy holes in its atmosphere allowing us to see to deeper, hotter regions. We also detect comparably strong FeH in the 0.9896 mu m Wing-Ford band for both components. Traditionally, a signpost of changing atmosphere conditions from late-type L to early T, the persistence and similarity of FeH at 0.9896 mu m in both Luhman 16A and Luhman 16B is an indication of homogenous atmosphere conditions. We calculate bolometric luminosities from observed data supplemented with best fit models for longer wavelengths and find the components are consistent within 1 sigma with resultant T-effs of 1310 +/- 30 K and 1280 +/- 75 K for Luhman 16AB respectively.

New and existing X-ray, UBVJHK(s)W((1-4)), and spectroscopic observations were analyzed to constrain fundamental parameters for M25, NGC 7790, and dust along their sight-lines. The star clusters are of particular importance because they host the classical Cepheids USgr, CF Cas, and the visual binary Cepheids CEa and CEb Cas. Precise results from the multiband analysis, in tandem with a comprehensive determination of the Cepheids' period evolution (dP/dt) from similar to 140 years of observations, helped to resolve concerns raised regarding the clusters and their key Cepheid constituents. Specifically, the distances derived for members of M25 and NGC7790 are 630 +/- 25 pc and 3.40 +/- 0.15 kpc, respectively.

Using FORS2 on the Very Large Telescope, we have astrometrically monitored over a period of two months the two components of the brown dwarf system WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the closest one to the Sun. Our astrometric measurements - with a relative precision at the milli-arcsecond scale - allowed us to detect the orbital motion and derive more precisely the parallax of the system, leading to a distance of 2.020 +/- 0.019 pc. The relative orbital motion of the two objects is found to be perturbed, which leads us to suspect the presence of a substellar companion around one of the two components. We also performed VRIz photometry of the two components and compared this with models. We confirm the flux reversal of the T dwarf.